The Falls, or, Where Sherlock Kept his Promise
by Amledo
Summary: Stand alone, or sequel to 'Triumph in the Great Game'John/Sherlock and mentions of Mystrade. Sherlock and Jim finally have their final confrontation, and it doesn't go quite as expected, at least for one man.


(A/N: So I think that at this point it is pretty safe to assume that I want to keep myself in the Sherlock fandom. I don't own anything, and I don't think I ever will. This fic is a Sherlock/John fic with mentions to some Mystrade as well, and can be taken as a follow up to _Triumph in the Great Game _but you don't have to read that one first. This story is my spin on the Reichenbach Falls modernization. Anyway…on with the show!)

The Falls, or, Where Sherlock Kept his Promise

Breathing heavily, exhausted and fueled by mad panic, he allowed his fingers to tangle in Sherlock's hair as he sought some measure of comfort. He found it only when the younger man looked up at him with curiosity and an equal mixture of fear and relief. John's breath caught in his chest when Sherlock grabbed his hand in search of something that the older of the pair had no words for.

"Are you okay John?" Sherlock asked at last, his breath seeming to rush out of him in the form of a single question. The Consulting Detective scooted closer to his friend and lover, removing as much of the space between them as he could.

"I almost lost you," John replied, matter of factly, though his voice was weak as the trauma of those last three hours began to wash over him more fully. Sherlock grew tense at the look that crossed John's face and then bound his arms around the smaller man, holding on tightly. As a person, Sherlock had undergone quite the transformation since their first real encounter with James Moriarty, and at the end of their last, he found himself to be so much better equipped. He had learned exactly what it was that John needed in such situations. Softly, but with confidence that he knew he needed to demonstrate, he placed his lips against the shorter man's forehead, brushing dirty blonde hair from his eyes.

The mists of the falls lay heavily on their skin, a reminder of the fate that both had been spared. But all that Sherlock wanted was to hold John and to never think about what could have happened to his steadfast, unerring lover if he had been forced to watch Sherlock tumble into the falls and his death. Absolutely heedless of the group of police sprinting toward them, Lestrade in the lead, Sherlock held on and made sure that John knew he was there for him. When John's walls broke and the former Army Doctor wept, Sherlock kissed away those tears and found at last the words that had only ever been silently understood between them.

"John, I love you, and you couldn't lose me if you tried," Sherlock swore it as an oath, pressing his lips desperately to John's, seeking to make him understand.

Detective Inspector Lestrade waited patiently for the pair to come up for air, because even he expected that a confession like that may have been Sherlock's first. If he was John, and he sympathized greatly with the Doctor's position, he wouldn't pull away for anything. He could almost imagine Mycroft actually uttering the words, and that was enough for him to wave off the cadre of cops that had followed his lead.

If anyone deserved a few moments of happiness at that point it was Sherlock and John. They were perfect for one another and Lestrade had known it the moment he met John for the first time. In the span of a day, Sherlock had cured John of the war, three months later, and a near-death experience on top, John had begun to cure Sherlock of himself. And now, six months after the pool incident and another near-death experience had finally finished the work John had so valiantly started.

When they did break apart it was Lestrade that draped a single blanket over both of them, knowing better than to separate them at any point in the future. The Scotland Yard official couldn't help but want a moment alone with the pair before the intense questioning began.

"Lestrade?" Sherlock asked softly, not understanding the other man's presence as he gripped John's waist a fraction more tightly with one arm while helping to secure the blanket with the other. It was obvious that Sherlock had been victim to at least a little of the shock that John had experienced.

"That's Detective Inspector, you do know we have company, I'd like to at least make this lot think I'm a respected official. At any rate, Sherlock, John, I'm very pleased to see that you are both safe and sound. There'd be an awful lot of paper work to do if you weren't. That and a certain someone would probably be cross with me for a very long time if you'd died on my watch," at that John giggled nervously, a seemingly recurring response to trauma for him, and Sherlock tightened the blanket. "I can only hope that Moriarty didn't come out of it quite so well if you will forgive my saying so. They will question you here, obviously, and then I'm to accompany you to London for the official rundown," Lestrade said and felt better for being able to keep up a professional tone. That they had both survived was truly a relief to him, more so than his professional face would allow, so his show of gratitude was simply to give the pair as much normalcy as he could summon.

He turned away when neither man responded, understanding the need for a few moments to themselves. And he knew that he would ensure they had it. The world had enough problems without good people like them being taken out of it by madmen. Abruptly he stopped walking, and pivoted slightly, turning his head to face the pair, Sherlock was helping John to his feet, with the kindest most placid look on his features.

"Sherlock?"

"Yes Dete…"

"You've become quite the good man," Lestrade said in his own blunt forthcoming way. Of course the magnitude of the revelation he had just experienced made it more forgivable than it would have been.

Sherlock froze, his gaze fixed on Lestrade, he didn't understand the statement as well as he would have liked, and after a moment he looked to John for an explanation. John was smiling widely, he had understood it perfectly. The DI had finally been able to see what had always been so obvious to John's own two eyes, and that meant something.

Instead of explaining properly, the Army Doctor lifted his head and softly kissed Sherlock's jaw. They were thusly useless to investigators for five full minutes. Lestrade happily waited in his car where Mycroft had chosen to remain. When the older of the Holmes brothers grasped the DI's hand, Lestrade squeezed back, of course Mycroft worried, but he had Lestrade to lean on, as much as Sherlock had John.

(A/N: Well, that's that. I hope that you liked it. And yes I know that not everyone can be gay. But I think that these guys just go fantastically together, and who am I to break that up?)


End file.
